Condition ratings
The basement is NI because the door was locked. What tanking or damp in that room must you not assume is absent?
You must not assume that tanking or damp is absent from that locked basement. The room is marked NI because the door was locked, and NI means not inspected, not a pass. Nothing inside was seen, so no judgement was made about tanking, damp staining or the floor. Rating 1 would mean no repair currently needed, and that rating was not given. A shut door is not a dry cellar. The survey recorded the limit of the visit. It has not cleared the basement.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Condition ratings describe what was inspected. Rating 2 would mean defects that need repair but are not serious or urgent, and rating 3 would mean serious and/or urgent repair, replacement or investigation. None of those words can be hung on a basement whose door stayed shut. NI records the limit. It is not a quiet way of saying the tanking is sound, and it is not a quiet way of saying the walls are wet. The lock is why the room was left out of the inspection.
Ask for the basement to be opened if you want anyone to speak about tanking or damp in it. Tell the solicitor the door was locked and that NI is not a pass. Do not brief a damp firm to price a membrane for a room nobody has seen, and do not tell a lender the cellar was cleared. A later visit, if agreed, would be a fresh look. It would not rewrite the mark given while the door was shut.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Was the basement marked NI only because the door was locked?
- Did you see any tanking, staining or floor finish inside that room?
- Has any condition rating been withheld because the room was not entered?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the locked basement as not inspected, not as a dry room.
- Ask for the door to be opened before anyone judges the cellar.
- Do not tell a lender or a damp firm that the basement was cleared.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
If the hallway outside smells dry, is the basement clear?
No. A dry smell in the hallway is not an inspection of the room behind a locked door. NI means not inspected, not a pass. Tanking and damp in that basement were not seen, so they must not be assumed absent. Rating 1, meaning no repair currently needed, was not given. The hallway does not donate the cellar a condition.
Can the locked basement be called rating 3?
No. Rating 3 means serious and/or urgent repair, replacement or investigation, and that rating was not given. NI means not inspected, not a pass. A lock is not evidence of failed tanking and it is not evidence of a sound floor. The condition stays unknown until the room is opened and looked at.